Grave-vault



J. OOOVER.

GRAVE VAULT.

(No Model.)

No. 285,233. Patented Sept. 18, 1883.

V a INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB COOVER, OF GHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAVE-VAU LT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,233, dated September 18, 1883.

Application filed July 7, 1383.

(No model.!

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, J AOOB COOVER, of Chain bersburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grave-Vaults, of

for its object to provide a strong, durable,

water-tight, and cheap vault, and one which will take up little space and can readily be put in place.

The invention consists, principally, of supports having shoulders and lips adapted to support and hold in place the coffin-lid, substantially as set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view, showing the supporting-iron supporting the cast-iron lid over an ordinary outside burial-case. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, showing the same placed in a grave and surrounded with cement or concrete. Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of one corner of the outside burial-case, showing a modified form of supporting-iron.

A represents an ordinary outside buria=lcase.

B B are cast-iron supports, which are made in any desired form and secured by screws or other fastenings to the outside of the case A. The number of posts may be varied, using more or less, as circumstances require. In some instances the supporting-irons B will be made in the form of angle-plates and secured to the corners of the burial-case A, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to give additional strength to the outside case; and in all cases I prefer to form the upper ends of the posts with the supportingshoulders a for supporting the lid 0, and with the lips a, to obviate all danger of displacement of the lid.

The lid 0 is made of cast-iron, and is made concave upon the under side to give it strength, and is formed at its side and end edges with the flanges c c, and upon the under side it is formed with the ribs 1) b to give it additional strength, and the lid is of a size somewhat larger than the case A, so that it will rest firmly upon the shoulders a of the supporting posts or irons B B over the case A, as shown clearly in the drawings, to support the earth placed above it in filling the grave.

In the formation of the vault, when cement or concrete is used, the bottom of the grave will first be covered with the cement d,- then theburial-case A, containing the coffin and remains, will be lowered into the grave, and then the lid 0 will be put in place over the burial-case upon the posts B 13,-after which the space F will befilled with cement, uniting it withthe cement d at the bottom, and

finally the lid Owill be covered with a thick layer, d, of cement, uniting it with that in the space F, thus making a perfect air and water tight vault, all as shown in Fig. 2.

Even when no cement is used this vault is very substantial and will protect the remains against the crushing weight of earth above, and is cheap; but it will not have the air and water tight qualities, as when the cement is used.

I do not abandon or dedicate to the public any patentable feature set forth herein and not hereinafter claimed, but reserve the right to claim the same either in a reissue of any pat ent that may be granted upon this application or in other applications for Letters Patent that I may make.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a grave-vault, the combination of the lid having downwardly-extended edges, with the burialcase having iron posts provided at their upper ends with outwardly-projecting shoulders having upwardly projecting lips, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JACOB COOVER.

Witnesses:

J. L. SUEssERoTT, D. M. EIKER. 

